[MUD-Dev] Collecting ideas for a MUD server... (fwd)

[Matthew Mihaly]

On Wed, 22 Dec 1999, J C Lawrence wrote:

> Remember: For many, even most of your player base, MUDding is
> throw-away time.  Its a better form of vegetating infront of the TV.
> If they lose or break their keys or trust web, heck, no worries,
> there's always another channel.

I have to say that I disagree with this. Going on with the tv analogy, if
A&E and the history channel break, what the hell am I supposed to
watch? Most of the channels are complete crap. Now, sure, if you are
watching a generic channel (ie stock mud), you can just turn to a new
channel. The analogy breaks down though when you consider that the people
in any mud, even a generic one, make up some of the content and going to a
new channel doesn't bring that content along with you.

Further, in the case of unique muds, other channels are not
equivalent. They are generally perceived as inferior and common and thus
less enticing. You also need to consider that people put an investment of
time and money (if commercial mud) into a particular mud. Think of it like
watching a serial tv program, like a soap opera. Soap operas are largely
like stock muds insofar as they are basically the same, with different
players. But, people who get into them put an investment of time and
emotional energy into following the storyline and such. At that point,
other soap operas are not equal, in the mind of the viewer.

I know people who have suddenly had firewall issues to deal with insofar
as connecting to Achaea goes, and they get frantic when they are suddenly
denied their favourite 'channel'. They don't just shrug and go to a
different mud, they spend a lot of time trying to sort the issues out most
of the time (unless the person in question is a newbie).
--matt




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